


Branches of Time

by iwasraisedtokeepquiet



Category: Captain America (Movies)
Genre: Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Spoilers, Fix-It, M/M, Minor Clint Barton/Natasha Romanov, Past Peggy Carter/Steve Rogers, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-29
Updated: 2019-04-29
Packaged: 2020-02-09 17:50:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,542
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18643069
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iwasraisedtokeepquiet/pseuds/iwasraisedtokeepquiet
Summary: Steve felt so old, time travelling like this. Even older than the hundred years he has supposedly lived on Earth. He felt like he has lived several lives other than his own, back when he was just that sickly little kid from Brooklyn.Steve figured he'd work backwards and furthest first, venture to space then make his way back to Earth...."Steve," She called to him slowly, "You said it yourself, we have to return the stones on the exact moment we got them and clip all the branches of time we have opened, you can't be-""I know," Steve said, cutting her out this time. "I know. But... I had a date."





	Branches of Time

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first fic I have ever written and I can't believe it's because AEG butchered Steve's characterization in the MCU.
> 
> I love both Steggy and Stucky and I can't believe Marvel has done this to them. They all deserved better.
> 
> But my take on it would not be the best out there. Not only in the flow and scenes and actual story but also in the grammar inconsistencies and really just straight up errors.
> 
> But I loved to see them all be happy and I would like to share this anyway. ^-^

✪ ✪ ✪

"How does this thing work again?" Sam asked making his way to Bruce from where he stood with Bucky and the new Quantum Portal they built.

  
"He takes as much time as he needs and return all the Infinity Stones to their respective timelines, but we'll be seeing him back here on the count of five," Bruce replied still fiddling with the equipment.

  
Bucky was still nervous about all of this time travel shit. Granted it had worked the first time and really well at that, he's also as excited as the next person because he's a giant nerd, but this is Steve. Only Steve. And god knows that idiot can do some really stupid shit sometimes.

  
Why Steve insisted on doing this alone, he won't say. But Bucky's got a hunch and it has put a huge boulder on the pit of his stomach since Steve told him about doing it by himself two days ago.

  
"Don't do anything stupid until I get back." Bucky heard Steve say as he approached him from his left. Turning to face Steve, it's all that Bucky can do to suppress the sigh he so badly wanted to let out.

  
"How can I? You're taking all the stupid with you." _How can you do this?_ was what Bucky really wanted to ask, his heart breaking behind his smile. _You got me now, if not me then Sam, you don't have to do this alone._

  
"See you in a bit, punk." Steve hugged him briefly then patted his shoulder before stepping onto the platform that would take him worlds and decades apart from Bucky. Again.

  
Damn, his best friend's flair for the dramatics sure has rubbed off on him easily, considering they've only seen each other again for less than a week. He reconned he deserves to be bummed about it, after all, he might not see Steve standing on that platform again after five seconds.

  
"Jerk," he said under his breath, sure that Steve heard him nonetheless.

  
He saw Steve pick up Mjölnir and tighten his grip on the case that contains the stones and said, "Fire 'em up, Bruce."

  
"Going Quantum in three... two... one." Bucky heard Bruce uttered, getting muffled as the blood in his veins gets louder in his ears, his throat closing up. He also heard Sam call Steve 'Cap' and barely saw the nod Steve gave in acknowledgment as he looked down on the ground.

  
With a loud whir and an extensive groan, the portal settled and Steve is no more.

  
"Okay, bringing him back in five..." Bruces' voice floated to him, only a background noise in Bucky's head as he counted down.

  
Bucky turned on his heel just as the first of his tears fell onto his face. He needed to get away.

  
_This is all so stupid._

  
With an abrupt start, he propelled forward towards the trees that lined the compound. The need to scream rose from his chest and got stuck in his throat with every step he took.

  
Steve's not coming back through that portal.

  
_He's not coming back._

  
⍟ ⍟ ⍟

  
Steve felt so old, time travelling like this. Even older than the hundred years he has supposedly lived on Earth. He felt like he has lived several lives other than his own, back when he was just that sickly little kid from Brooklyn.

  
Steve figured he'd work backward and furthest first, venture to space then make his way back to Earth.

  
That meant he had to meet the Red Skull first, which he hoped wouldn't set the tone for the rest of his journey and it hadn't. But when he got to Vormir, a cold and lonely planet, he still felt the dread of facing his old foe. And just a little out of breath because while Clint did warn him of skullface, he didn't mention a steep hike up a mountain. He just fought another war dammit, can't he catch a break?

  
"Ah, Captain America!" his lost foe exclaimed with much disdain as he did on that fiery factory in Azzano as he saw Steve reach the top. "Son of Sarah, a man out of time."

  
"Schmidt," Steve sighed, making his way to sit on a rock. "I'm here to return the stone."

  
"No one has set out for so far to do such a thing. Do you not want to harness the power you hold in your hands?" He looked surprised as if he expected Steve to do just that.

  
Now, Steve has seen what these stones could do, how powerful each of them could be but even if he wanted to use them he knows he couldn't. Not when someone's been waiting for him to come back for so long.

  
Steve was told to step by the ledge that hovers hundreds of feet off the ground and to let the Soul stone drop. _It's that easy?_ , he thought.

  
As the stone fell, he thought of the sacrifice Natasha has made to gain the stone, to let them have the chance of undoing all the madness Thanos has donned upon the universe. But even before the stone reached the ground, Steve felt a pull in his gut. There was a blinding light, then there was darkness.

  
Upon regaining his consciousness, Steve slowly opened his eyes and saw stars unfamiliar from what he was used to. He felt like he was floating in space.

  
Steve then felt a soft ripple to his right, then he heard a gasp. Then a familiar rasp of his name.

  
"Steve?"

⍟ ⍟ ⍟

  
After Steve filled Natasha in on what transpired after she fell and when they boarded Rocket's ship that Clint and Nat abandoned in Vormir, they decided to do this together. Just like all the other times they've had each other's back, like how it's supposed to be.

  
He still can't believe she's here. He never made himself fully believe in the possibility that this could happen. Of course, he's thought of it and asked Scott to shrink one of the quantum suits and have it on his pocket for safe keeping. But this is a power that's way beyond him, he'll never understand how and why but the Soul stone has given them Natasha back and he's grateful because if there's anyone who deserves to live a full life, Natasha's one of them.

  
They head out to Morag to return the Power Stone to its place, then off to Asgard to secure the Reality Stone.

  
Both Steve and Natasha marvelled at the stark contrast of the two, one's dark and dying and Asgard's full of light and life.

  
"I can't imagine how hard it is for Thor to come back to this after he's lost everything," Natasha said forlornly as they hovered before the gates of the kingdom.

  
"We may never fully understand, but we'll be there for him." They shared a sad smile as the golden gate shifted to reveal a tall dark man holding a sword.

 

From this far, Steve could feel the man's eyes pierced through his soul, this must be Heimdall then. Thor told him about the faithful and righteous Asgardian and how he could help Steve secure the stone and his hammer.

  
"Lord Rogers, Lady Romanoff to what do I owe this pleasure?" They heard Heimdall as the man approached them when they got down from the ship, his arm extended for a shake.

  
"Please, just Steve will do," Steve said as he took Heimdall's arm on his, he watched Natasha do the same. "I believe this belongs here." Steve continued, lifting Thor's hammer.

 

As if being called, Mjölnir stirred and Steve let go of it before he gets pulled.

  
"It has started." Heimdall silently muttered to himself.

  
"Thor told us that you could help," Natasha said, "We're here to return the Aether but I have a feeling you already knew that."

 

"Indeed." The guardian replied with a nod.

  
Nat then opened the case that housed the stones and carefully extracted the one to give to Heimdall. As she handed over the stone to Heimdall, Steve saw Natasha scanned the room to admire it and inquired, "Say, can the Bifrost send us back in time?"

  
"Natasha," He chided.

  
"It'll be faster, Steve and don't tell me you're not curious about how this thing works," she countered, looking over her shoulder as she took the steps onto the platform.

  
"Yes, Lady Romanoff, I can send you to back in 2011 as the Chitauri ravages New York." Heimdall specified, holding the stone on one hand and brandishing his sword with the other, he approached the middle of the platform and sheathed the sword into it. Steve felt the room shift to open the Bifrost and a fleury of colors now filled the once golden room, different hues dancing before his eyes.

  
"I can see where Thor gets his humour, come on Steve it'll be fun," Natasha commented as she gets down the platform with a jump on her step to approach the open portal.

  
Steve just shook his head as he made his way towards his friend. She reminded him of Bucky's sisters sometimes, especially from the last five years and how she became much more open with her emotions. She's still the fierce Natasha he's met all those years ago, but to see her express her excitement like this, Steve's happy they got her back.

  
"I have to send you now," Heimdall said, Steve heard the urgency in his voice. "There's a threat that is to come to Asgard and I need to be of aid to the kingdom."

  
"Is there any way we could help?" he asked.

  
"You have faced one too many battles, both of you. I'm grateful for your offering, but we'll have to see this through ourselves."

  
With their nod, Heimdall opened the Bifrost and Steve and Natasha was sent hurtling through time and space.

⍟ ⍟ ⍟

"Okay, I'll admit that was amazing." Steve heard himself say breathlessly as they step out of the Bifrost mark, admiring it. He heard Nat chuckled to his right.

  
With a satisfied huff, Natasha asked about how they are to return the rest of the stones. Then Steve remembered that Natasha didn't know about the complication they encountered on the Time Heist, as Scott has called it, and what he's set to do when he took this mission alone.

  
"Natasha, I have to tell you something." Upon seeing the serious look on his face, she adopted the same expression and asked what is it, "We didn't acquire the Tesseract in this year.

  
"Loki's got it and he has escaped. Tony and I... we went back to the 70s, when Howard, when S.H.I.E.L.D.'s got their hands on it."

  
"Okay, then we'll return it last after we're done with the Time and Mind stone." She said, but still with a question in her eyes, her mind working on what he's not saying.

  
"Peggy," Steve whispered, her name getting stuck in his throat. "I saw Peggy when we went back and I thought-"

  
"Steve," She called to him slowly, "You said it yourself, we have to return the stones on the exact moment we got them and clip all the branches of time we have opened, you can't be-"

  
"I know," Steve said, cutting her out this time. "I know, Nat. But... I had a date."

 

⍟ ⍟ ⍟

 

He has somehow convinced Natasha to let him go alone and for her to return the other two Stones to their respective place in that time in New York. Steve wanted to join her just to make sure she'll be okay, but he was reminded with a firm word and a much firmer punch on the arm that this is Natasha Romanoff and just promise me I'll be seeing your stupid mug after, Rogers, I swear to god.

  
With a final nod, he punched the button on his glove that will take him several decades back. There's still one lifetime he's eager to live through and there's just one other jump left to make it happen.

  
He made his way down the S.H.I.E.L.D. office, disguised in the same clothes and somehow encountered the same woman, who nearly blew the whole operation off, on the elevator just like the first time. He made sure to keep his head down this time.

  
He didn't bother returning the Tesseract from where Tony got it, just made his way straight to Peggy's office. There, he waited in the dark and let all the years that he didn't get to live bore down his shoulders. Thought about all the things Peggy had lived and built after him. This was their timeline, more hers than his, and he has to let it pass.

  
He opened his eyes which he never realized he has closed when he heard Peggy and another agent enter the other door to her office.

  
Much like the first time, all he can do was stare. She's as beautiful as ever, strong even with the white streaks on her hair and the lines on her face that shows how much time has passed after he drove the Valkyrie down the ice.

  
He made himself walk towards the glass door that separated them, made himself knock and open it. Looking at a clipboard to obscure his face from the view of the other person in the room, he said, "Director Carter," Oh, how proud is he of what she has become.

  
"What?" She said, clipped. Could have picked a better timing though, Rogers.

  
"I've got a package for you to sign off, Mr. Stark said it's important." As he spoke, he can see the recognition of Peggy's face by the brim of his hat. She remembered him.

  
"Agent Monahan, we'll discuss this further later. Please lock the door when you leave." There's a couple of breaths when none of them spoke, then, "Steve?"

  
He removed the hat he's wearing and lifted his face for Peggy to see.

  
"You're alive! You... you came back." Not believing her eyes just yet.

  
"Yeah, Peg, it's me," he said, stepping towards her.

  
"Prove it." That made him stop, but that's the Peggy he knows.

  
"You once mentioned that I was meant for more than just being a dancing monkey. I've done a lot in the future, Peg."

  
With the mention of the future, the frown on Peggy's face became more pronounced.

  
As much as he wanted to tell her everything, he can't. He wanted her to be aware of Hydra infiltrating the very organization they are in, of all the events political or otherwise that would change the world, of Bucky. But he can't, he's afraid him telling her would change something. He's done this time hop thing a couple of times now but it still gives him a headache thinking about what changes things and what doesn't.

  
So he carefully told her about the mission he's set out here to do and she told him about her work and the family she has, about his husband and their beautiful children.

  
He's truly happy for her and he tells her as much.

  
"You deserve this too, Steve."

  
"Yeah, I guess."

  
"You do," She insisted. "But... You still owe me a dance, you know."

  
"How could I forget?" He stood up from where he leaned on the table and made his way across the room from where Peggy was seated, he extended his hand for her to take. "I couldn't let my best girl down."

  
As they danced in the tune of Peggy's humming, of a song about lost love and missed opportunities, Steve felt the weight of the years he has and has not lived gave from his shoulders. He thought about the family he has found before the ice and the one he has gained after. He thought about all the battles they have fought, lost and won.

  
He thought about the life Peggy has insisted he deserves and he himself is starting to believe is true.

  
He thought about Bucky waiting for him, back to their timeline and to the lifetime he's meant to share with him.

  
_I'm coming back home, Buck._

  
⍟ ⍟ ⍟

  
When he pressed the button that would take him back to the present, as Peggy's smile disappeared from his view, as he's pulled through the Quantum Realm and as he saw Natasha whipped by beside him, he cannot help but release the breath he seemed to have been holding for a long long time.

  
_At last_ , he thought. _At long last._

  
As he and Natasha exited the portal, the first thing Steve saw was Bruce's confused face, probably wondering why Steve's got someone beside him. And when Natasha retracted the headgear of her quantum suit, he heard Bruce swore and pressed something on his console, "Clint you better get down here."

  
He turned his head to see Sam coming to a stop a couple of paces away as if running after someone. He looked onto what Sam could be chasing and saw Bucky breaking into the treeline.

  
This jolted him into action and jumped down from the platform to get to Sam, "What happened?"

  
"I don't know, man. He just took off." Sam looked at the platform and saw Nat. "She's back." He said nothing short of wonder.

  
"Yes, Sam. I don't know how either but I'm glad she is." Steve could see Clint running down to where they are, the recognition clear on his face upon seeing the red of Natasha's hair.

  
He turned his eyes to the treeline from where Bucky disappeared.

  
"Go. Go after him," was all Sam said after giving him a hug and a pat on the back, then Steve's breaking into a run, going after Bucky.

 

Bucky couldn't have thought he's never coming back to him, right? Steve can't do that, not after everything they've been through. His life is here with Bucky. He's always gonna come back to him.

 

The trees surrounding the Avengers compound were spaced out enough that it didn't take long for Steve to find where Bucky went. He was still running but faltered on his steps when he heard Steve called his name.

 

He saw Bucky's shoulder tensed as if bracing himself for something then slowly turned, eyes wide, scared and full of tears. Steve's heart broke at the sight, how could he have caused such pain to this man.

  
He didn't slow down until he's several meters from Bucky, still, determination filled his every step as he closes the distance between them, "Bucky."

  
"You're here," his voice breaking as he continued, "I thought you're- but, you have her- I don't understand!"

  
"I'm sorry, Bucky. I didn't mean to worry you like this." When they're only a meter apart, Steve reached out and cradled Bucky's head on his hands to gently but firmly touched their foreheads and said, "You're my life, Buck. It's always been you. I'm staying here. I'm here."

  
"Steve." Bucky sobbed his name as he lifted his hands to hold onto Steve's arms and pulled him closer. Steve took one of Bucky's hands then, kissed his palm and placed it over his heart.

  
"Bucky." He poured all of the unsaid things between them to his name and he saw the beginnings of a smile pulled on the corner of Bucky's lips.

  
_He's home._

✪ ✪ ✪

 

They stayed that way, holding each other, for several moments more. Then Bucky released a shuddering breath, casting away all the tension from his shoulders and took Steve's hand with his metal one.

  
They silently walked back the way they came from, savoring each other's presence and not saying a word. Not that they don't have anything to say to each other, not yet. Bucky for one has a lot of things to say, but he has to process them first. So they walked hand in hand until they reached the portal and Bucky saw Clint and Natasha sprawled on the ground hugging each other to death it seemed like.

  
He looked at Steve in wonder, "She's back."

  
"She's back," Steve confirmed over Clint's near wailing. He gets it, it's not every day your heart starts beating again after it died.

  
They packed up the equipment, Bruce making sure it's shut down, and make their way back to one of the buildings in the compound. Sam walked on Steve's left who has never let go of Bucky's hands since and Clint, Nat and Bruce walked on Bucky's right.

 

  
Later that night, into the deep hours of dawn, after he and Steve have talked it all out, with countless of kisses shared in between, they decided they will no longer let each other go by any means.

Steve held him in his arms between the sheets they've gathered up from their bedrooms. Laying down on the multitude of cushions and pillows they could get their hands on, not unlike what they used to do when they were kids. Bucky rested his head in the arms of the man he's loved over worlds and decades and timelines and lifetimes ago.

  
His last thoughts as he drifted off to sleep, feeling as safe and peaceful as he's ever been were  _we're here, finally. We deserved this._

  
And indeed, they do and so much more.

**Author's Note:**

> Please let me know if there are other tags I should add.
> 
> Thank you so much for reading through!
> 
> We know who our real Steve Rogers is and he'll live forever in our hearts. ♥


End file.
